Mouth-piece for brass musical instruments



(ModeL) P. THOMSEN. Mouth Piece for Brass Musical Instruments.

No. 242,487. Patented June 7,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER THOMSEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MOUTH-PIECE FOR BRASS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,487, dated June '7,1881.

Application filed March 28, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER. TI-IOMSEN, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Mouth-Pieces for Brass Instruments, ot'which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of open reedless mouth-pieces whichare used in connection with cornets and other brass musical instrumentswhich are without reeds, whereby they are rendered adjustable to suitthe different instruments and the requirements of differ ent performers.

It is well known to the manufacturers of and performers upon brassinstruments that great difficulty is experienced in securing mouthpieceswhich shall be suitable both to the peculiar instruments upon which theyare used, and to the size, shape, and other peculiarities of the lips ofthe player by whom the instrument may be used. By means of myimprovement I am able to produce a mouth-piece which may be applied tovarious instruments, which may be adjusted to the requirements of eachinstrument, and also to the requirements of different performersthereon.

The essential feature of my invention coir sist-s, as already stated, inso constructing the mouth-piece that the size of its interior space orair-chamber may be increased or diminished.

This may be accomplished in many different ways or by manydifferentformsof construction, which will readily suggest themselves to the skilledmechanic without departing from the limits of my invention.

- It is preferred to construct the mouth-piece of a telescopiccharacter, the outer and end portion, against which the lips are placed,being screwed over and around the body or main portion, in the mannerrepresented in the accompanying drawings. It is also preferred toprovide the device, as shown in the drawings, with an index or scale, bywhich to determine the adjustment; but this is not a necessary featureof the device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of my mouth-piece in its most approved form. 2 represents alongitudinal central section of Fig.

(Model) the same. Fig. 3 represents an end view of the same.

A represents the body or main portion of the mouth-piece, constructed,as usual, with a tn bular stem, a, and an enlarged or bell-shaped end,I), the interior of which is commonly denominated an air-chamber.

B represents the adjustable portion of the mouth-piece, made in anannularor ringshaped form, and screwed upon and around the enlargedportion of the body A. This annular portion B extends forward beyond thebody, and is adapted to receive the lips of the player, its interiorsurface forming a continuation of the air-ehamberin the end I). Byturning the portion B around the body A it may be adjusted forward andbackward thereon, and in this manner the air-chamber in the end I) maybe increased and diminished in capacity, as required.

In order to prevent the portion B from becoming detached, it is providedwith shoulders c and d, to engage againstthe threaded portion of thebody A, as shown, these shoulders serving to limit the movement of thepart B.

To assist and guide the operator in adjusting the mouth-piece, the bodyA is provided with a series of surrounding marks or lines, c, at therear end of the part B. The adjustable portionB is provided with a markor index,f, and the body'A provided with a series of corresponding marksor characters, 9. The lines and characters upon the body, in connectionwith the character or index upon the portion B, serve as an efficientmeans of determining and regulating the position of the latter.

If preferred, the screw-thread may be omitted and the portion B retainedin place upon the body A by means of friction; or one part may bearranged to slide upon the other and be adjusted thereon by means of ath umb-serew or other device.

A single mouth-piece, constructed as above described, may be suceessfully applied to a great variety of instruments, and adjusted in such manneras to give a perfect action in each case, and in this manner a musicianaccustomed to the use of a certain mouthpiece will be enabled to applythe same to various instruments which he may be called upon to use. Theadjustability of the mouthpiece also permits any in-- struinent uponwhich it may be used to be accurately and readily adjusted to suit thepeculiarities of any player.

It will, of course, be understood that my mouth-piece may be varied inform and shape, as desired, and that it is applicable to any and allclasses or varieties in which moutlrpieces of the class described areemployed.

I am aware that in instruments having reeds or equivalent soundproducing and controlling devices secured to or within the mouth-piecean outside air-chamber has been screwed permanently or rigidly in placearound the exterior, the chamber being designed to remain unchanged incapacity, and being so applied that it in no manner controls thecharacter of the sounds produced; and this I do not claim, my inventionrelating only to monthpieces the interiorcapacity of which maybechanged, and in which the sounds are produced by the lips of theoperator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An openmouth-piece for brass musical instruments, the interior air-chamber ofwhich is adjustable in size or capacity, substantially as described andshown.

2. An open bell-shaped mouth-piece for musical instruments, the sameconsisting of a tubular body with an enlarged open end, and anadjustable portion applied to and forming a continuation of saidenlarged end, substantially as described and shown.

3. An open telescopic mouth-piece for cornets and similar musicalinstruments, constructed substantially as described and shown.

4-. An open-end mouth-piece consisting of the body with the open end andair-passage and the adjustable ring screwed thereon.

5. In combination with the body A, the adjustable portion B, appliedthereto and provided with shoulders, substantially as described, toprevent its escape therefrom.

(3. In a mouthpiece, the adjustable portion B and the body A, providedwith graduations or indications as a means of determining the positionof the adjustable portion.

PETER THOMSEN.

Witnesses:

t. P. GARSED, W M. RtoKEY.

